‘Do you listen to Girl in Red?’

The secret code for queers alike. And the answer is yes, and you should too.  

Girl in Reds presence in this Melbourne winter is exactly what we needed- her new album

 ‘I’m Doing It Again Baby!’ was an absolute must to see live at Margaret Court Arena last Wednesday.  

 I walked into the arena and immediately noticed the sea of red beanies with the classic platform Doc Marten’s + dyed hair combo, and I thought- this concert was strictly reserved for the girls and gays - and I’m so here for it.  As Marie put it  ‘at least we have eliminated the homophobes in this building’.

 As I found my seat on the second floor – I could see girls making TikTok’s to Chapelle Roans HOT TO GO (our lord and saviour), people waving to each other from the stands, laughing, dancing, waving lesbian flags. It was giving girlhood in the best way- like a big sleepover with all your best friends. I have never felt so safe, particularly as this was my first concert that I have gone alone to.  

 I could feel the excitement building as the clock struck closer to 8. I bought my grapefruit seltzer (the most sapphic thing on the bar menu that I could find), and got back just in time for the opener, ‘Telenova’.  

I hadn’t heard of them before, and I was pleasantly surprised by their live performance.

They remind me a lot of Japanese House with that kind of dreamy, ethereal soundscape. The lead singer Angeline Armstrong has that silky smooth voice that’s almost haunting – and combined with the shimmering synths + groovy bass guitar- it creates such a beautiful listening experience.

My favourite was their performance of their song ‘Comedian’ where everyone got their phone torches out and I could see everyone swaying side to side in synchronicity. The green, ribbon-like lighting protruded out to the audience as smoke permutated throughout the stage- it was very surreal, and I could feel a chill going up my spine in the best way.

 Keep an eye out for their debut album which comes out August 16.

During the intermission, of course ‘Good Luck Babe’ started playing and I could hear myself and everyone else scream like their life’s depended on it ‘WHEN YOU WAKE UP NEXT TO HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH YOUR HEAD IN YOUR HANDS, YOU’RE NOTHING MORE THAN HIS WIFE’ and I felt a collective catharsis in the room.

The moment we were all waiting for: Girl in Red made her grand entrance: the backdrop turned red and red strobe lighting jolted the audience as she tore up the stage with her title track ‘I’M BACK!’.

She comes out in her baggy suit with this awkward suaveness that makes her show so endearing –it makes for such a genuine performance that makes you feel authentically connected to her as an audience member. 

 The crowd got hyped as the intro for ‘BAD IDEA’ came on. The lighting and visuals of the show was a standout – they were incredibly engaging and made the performance so much more cohesive. Particularly in this song, the flash-strobe lighting combined with the edgy visuals created this infectious energy - it felt like I was at a rave. The guitarists were also amazing – they were really vibing with each other on stage, giving way to this amazing synergy between Marie and the rest of the band.  

I love how Marie interacts with her audience – whether it’s screaming ‘LETS GO LESBIANS’ or making everyone dance as hard as they can to make the ground shake. It was literally so much fun to watch on the stands – it made me want to completely let go and immerse myself in the craziness of the performance. A particular highlight was when she started crowd surfing in ‘Stupid Bitch’, and moshed with the crowd in GA.

Girl in Red was not what I expected. She is not your typical indie pop star. Judging by her demeanour, you would never have guessed that she becomes a complete animal on stage. It was so cool to watch.

 GO STREAM HER NEW ALBUM!!!